Container lifting device



1936- G. c. WOODRUFF I CONTAINER LIFTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1934 2 Sheets-$heet 1 t it 71732; T

D -8, 1936. a c. woobRuFF 2,063,551

CONTAINER LIFTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 5, 1934 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 8, 1936 UNITED STATES CONTAINER LIFT'ING DEVICE Graham 0. Woodrufi, Bronxville, N. Y., assignor to The L. C. L. Corporation, a. corporation of Delaware Application September 5, 1934, Serial No. 742,805

' 2 Claims.

This invention relates to lifting devices, and has special reference to a lifting device designed for use in conjunction with a crane or like hoisting apparatus for lifting containers of the type employed in connection with container cars and other similar containers.

The main object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which issimple and inexpensive of construction, reliable and efficient in use, and adapted to be readily and conveniently applied to a container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lifting device in which the lifting stresses are transmitted to the container framing at the corners, where it is best able to sustain them, and in such manner as to obviate liability of distortion or crushing of the container under the imposed stresses.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a container for container cars, showing the application of the lifting device thereto.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the container with the lifting device applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the lifting frame.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational View looking toward one side of a portion of the container and a portion of the lifting frame and showing in section one of the container legs and theengagement of a lifting hook of a lifting cable or rope therewith.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing a portion of the lifting frame and the parts applied at one of the corners thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I designates a container of a type commonly used on container cars, and which may be of rectangular, oblong rectangular or other suitable form. The container shown in the present instance is one of oblong rectangular form and comprises side walls 2, end walls 3, a bottom wall 4 and a top wall 5 provided, when of refrigerator type, with a centrally located ice hatch and housing 6, access to which is not interfered with by the lifting frame, hereinafter described. The container is also one of that type in which the container is provided at its corners with sup porting legs 1 adapted to engage sockets or like positioning and retaining devices in the floor of the car. Each of these legs isrprovided, in accordance with the present invention, with a keeper opening 8 formed by displacing a part of the metal of which the leg is formed. This displaced metal may be and preferably is shaped to form an arcuately curved, channeled, reinforcing wear shoe 9, the channel of which receives the reinforcing or stay rod or member ID.

The lifting device is designed for lifting and transporting containers of this character and comprises a lifting frame H which may be: formed to correspond to the horizontal crosssectional form of the container, that is to say, of oblong rectangular form, but of somewhat less dimensions than that of the container. The frame consists of angle metal side bars l2 and end bars l3 riveted or otherwise suitably fastened at their corners to each other. The bars are also united at each corner of the frame by a bracket or bridge plate I4, of generally rectangular form, riveted to the bars and serving not only to reinforce the frame at the corners but also as supports for elements of the lifting mechanism.

Each bracket I4 includes a part folded upon itself and riveted thereto to provide an eye IS with which is pivotally engaged a lifting link l6 whereby the frame may be connected with a lifting sling and through such sling to a crane or other hoisting device. In the present instance the four-branch type of sling is shown, embodying four similar lifting cables I! provided at their lower ends with hooks or the like I8 for engagement with the links [6 and connected at their upper ends with a plain or grommet type link Iii which is adapted for engagement with the lifting hook of a crane or other hoisting device such as commonly used for handling top lift bulk and merchandise containers in container car shipping practice.

Also arranged at each corner of the frame isa lifting bracket 2| which may be of any suitable construction, but is herein shown as made up of a pair of outer metal plates and a suitable number of intermediate or filler plates, Which are rigidly united by means of rivets 22. The outer plate members of each arm have outwardly bent flanges or bracket plates 23 at their lower edges which rest upon and are riveted, as indicated at 24, to

the bracket plate [:4 and portions of the arms l2 and l3'at the adjacent corner of the frame. The arms extend diagonally of the frame at the corner portions and have extended ends projecting beyond the corner portions and apertured to form eyes receiving pivot pins or bolts 25 pivotally connecting therewith the upper connecting members 26 of lifting cables 2! provided at their lower-ends with connecting members 28, which members28 are forked to receive eyes 29 upon the upper ends of lifting hooks 3!] connected therewith by coupling pins or bolts 3|. These lifting hooks are adapted to be inserted within the keeper openings 8 in the legs 1 of the container I and to bear against the wear shoes 9 to couple the container with the lifting frame for a lifting action.

In the use of the lifting device the lifting frame is positioned above the container I, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the lifting hooks 36 engage with the keeper openings 8 in the leg l, after which the sling ll may be engaged with the lifting hook 228 of the crane or other hoisting device, or, conversely, the lifting frame and sling in engaged relationship may be coupled to the lifting hook 213 and the lifting hooks of the lifting chains engaged with the keeper openings in the legs. The lifting device will then be applied to the container so that the container may be raised, lowered and swung to and from its receiving compartment on the car and between the same and a loading platform at a freight station or vice versa. It will be observed that when the lifting device is applied in the manner shown the lifting brackets of the frame will hold the cables 27 in a straight vertical position in close proximity to the end walls of the container and adjacent to the respective corner portions of the container. By this arrangement, the cables will be held from drawing inwardly against the walls of the container under the lifting stresses while the container is suspended from the hoisting device, and such stresses as may unavoidably fall upon the container due to relative movement between the container and cables, will be sustained by the container at and in the region of its corner where its framing is of maximum strength and at the points Where the container is adapted to best withstand such stresses. Hence, while the container will be securely engaged and held from displacement during the lifting action, it will also be relieved from any undue stresses liable to cause buckling or collapse of the walls of the container, as frequently happens in the use of hoisting devices of other types. The invention thus provides a lifting device which is reliable and efficient in action, which may be easily engaged with and disengaged from the container, which will securely hold the container against getting out of position or slipping loose from the lifting device, which is simple and inexpensive of construction and when not in use, may be carried or stored away in close compass and which relieves the container from undue stresses in an effectual manner. During the swinging of the container by the hoisting device the container is allowed to swing to a slight degree either in a longitudinal or transverse direction, under any jerky or abrupt draft motions, which may occur, without liability of the draft hooks becoming disengaged from the keeper openings. This is permitted in the longitudinal direction by the flexibility of the cables 21 and pivotal engagement of the hooks with the keeper opening and in the transverse direction by the pivotal connection of the hooks with the connectors 28. It will be observed that the pivotal connection 293i between each connector 28 and hook 550 allows relative pivotal motion between the hook and draft cable in a direction parallel with the end wall 3 on the side of which the cable lies and not in the direction of engaging and disengaging movements of the hook, so that in such relative pivotal movements any possibility of disengagement of the hook from the keeper opening will be obviated.

While the construction of the lifting device as shown and described is preferred, it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts of the device may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A lifting device for containers comprising a lifting frame adapted to be disposed adjacent to and above the top of the container, said frame being of generally rectangular form and consisting of angle metal side and end bars rigidly united at the corners of. the frame and having inwardly extending flanges at their upper edges, bridge plates extending across the spaces between the frame bars at the corners of the frame and resting on and rigidly attached to the flanges of the bars, whereby the bars are further united and the frame reinforced at the corners, each of said plates being provided at its inner portion most remote from the adjacent corner portion of the frame with an extension piece bent outwardly and backwardly toward said corner portion and over upon and riveted to the body of the plate and formed at its juncture with the body of the plate with an eye arranged obliquely in the angle between the frame members, a suspension mem ber resting on and riveted to each bridge plate outwardly beyond the eye thereon and having a suspension portion projecting beyond the adjacent corner of the frame, links pivotally connected with the eyes of the bridge plates for coupling the frame with a hoisting device, a depending lifting element pivotally connected at its upper end with the outwardly projecting portion of, each suspension member, and engaging members carried by the lifting elements at their lower ends for connecting the same with the lower portion of the container.

2. A lifting device for containers comprising a lifting frame adapted to be disposed adjacent to and above the top of the container, said frame being of generally rectangular form and consisting of angle metal side and end bars rigidly united at the corners of the frame and having inwardly extending flanges at their upper edges, bridge plates extending across the spaces between the frame bars at the corners of the frame and resting on and rigidly attached to the flanges of the bars, whereby the bars are further united and the frame reinforced at the corners, each of said plates being provided at its inner portion most remote from the adjacent corner portion of the frame with an extension piece bent outwardly and backwardly toward said corner portion and over upon and riveted to the body of the plate and formed at its juncture with the body of the plate with an eye arranged obliquely in the angle between the frame members, a suspension member resting on each bridge plate outwardly beyond the eye thereon and having a suspension portion projecting outwardly beyond the adjacent corner of the frame, each suspension member being formed of outer plates and a filler plate therebetween, said outer plates having base flanges riveted to the bridge plate, links pivotally connected with the eyes of the bridge plates for coupling the frame with a hoisting device, a depending lifting element pivotally connected at its upper end with the outwardly projecting portion of each suspension member, and engaging members carried by the lifting elements at their lower ends for connecting the same with the lower portion of the container.

GRAHAM C. WOODRUFF. 

